Health Reform News and Research

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Poll shows growing popularity for health reform law, politicians sound off

"The health-care overhaul gained popularity from May to June, according to a new tracking poll." The poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation "found that 48 percent of the public had a favorable view of the law in June while 41 percent had an unfavorable opinion." (Kaiser Health News is a program of the foundation.) In May, the tracking poll had found "41 percent favorable to 44 percent unfavorable."

1 Jul 2010

Health reform's early retiree reinsurance program accepting applications; Other overhaul initiatives get attention

HHS announced Tuesday that it "has begun accepting applications for the early retiree reinsurance program created by the new health law. The law sets aside $5 billion that businesses, unions and state and local governments can use to cover the healthcare costs of their retirees — and their spouses and dependents — who are older than 55 but don't yet qualify for Medicare." Some are worried that money for that program won't last through 2014, when other parts of the law take effect.

30 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 30, 2010

Today's headlines highlight the results of a new tracking poll that indicate that the health reform law has gained popularity among Americans while implementation advances for overhaul initiatives such as high-risk pools and the early retiree reinsurance program.

30 Jun 2010

Striking disparities persist; obesity rates highest among Blacks and Latinos

Adult obesity rates increased in 28 states in the past year, and declined only in the District of Columbia, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010, a report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

30 Jun 2010

Health law provisions kicking in; States prepare for high-risk insurance pool implementation

Three months after health reform was enacted, state leaders are beginning to make decisions about implementing the new law, Politico reports: "With the messy politics of health reform, the burden of balancing state budgets and the goal of expanding health coverage, lawmakers at the state level have had mixed reactions."

30 Jun 2010

Wishard-Regenstrief partnership earns NAPH President's Award for Health Reform Readiness and Leadership

Wishard Health Services, the nation's third-largest safety net health care system in outpatient visits, and the Regenstrief Institute Inc., an internationally-respected medical and public health informatics innovator, earned the NAPH 2010 President's Award for Health Reform Readiness and Leadership.

30 Jun 2010

Ambulance services to improve in Victoria promises Health Minister

With increasing concern over ambulance services Health Minister Daniel Andrews has admitted that there are gaps in Victoria’s ambulance services and once new paramedics arrive the problem will be addressed under the government's regional ambulance policy.

29 Jun 2010

Rise in hospital admissions over last five years

According to a new ‘State of Our Public Hospitals’ report there is a 17 percent hike in the number of people seeking treatment at Australian hospitals in the last five years. This report was released by Health Minister Nicola Roxon on Tuesday.

29 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 29, 2010

In this Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "Sarah Rose Nordgren works 25 to 30 hours a week as a waitress at an upscale restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C. She also tutors high- schoolers on their college entrance essays and has an editorial internship at a book publisher. But if something were to go seriously wrong with her health, she'd be in trouble because none of her three jobs offers health insurance" (Kaiser Health News).

29 Jun 2010

Queensland health payroll was faulty right from testing phase: Auditor’s report

The Auditor General’s report on the Queensland health pay bungle revealed an “unprecedented failure of public administration in Queensland” a day after two senior bureaucrats lost their jobs.

28 Jun 2010

Health reform law this week: Some states to miss deadline on high-risk pools, tanning tax kicks in

USA Today: "The key early program of the nation's new health law aims to provide affordable coverage to about 200,000 people with pre-existing medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, through federal high-risk insurance pools. The law called for the program to be in place last week, 90 days after its enactment, though the Department of Health and Human Services had said the programs would launch Thursday to coincide with the start of states' fiscal years."

28 Jun 2010

Pittsburgh companies using wellness to try to keep health costs down

Pittsburgh companies are using wellness incentives in the workplace to trim their health care costs as "small businesses prepare for a lift in their efforts to keep workers healthy, courtesy of health care reform," the Pittsburgh Business Times reports.

28 Jun 2010

Authorities unsure of Queensland health staff pay woes

The payment woes of Queensland health staff continue and there is no clear indication from authorities as to when problems will stop. Since March this year tens of thousands of health care staff are being over, under or unpaid after the introduction of a new computerized pay system. After repeated assurances there are still people who are facing problems with their pay.

28 Jun 2010

Insurer sees coming health insurer 'oligopoly,' doctors band together on system changes

Bloomberg Businessweek reports that health insurer WellPoint's investor-relations chief said Thursday that health insurers are "moving towards an oligopoly" accelerated by the new law. "New regulations on administrative spending and premium increases will push some independent insurers out of business or into deals with bigger rivals, said Michael Kleinman, vice president for investor relations, at a Wells Fargo & Co. conference in Boston.

28 Jun 2010

Friday opinions: Mandate to buy insurance; Medicare and 'political game'

If Americans want a private health insurance system that does not base the price of individually sold policies on that individual's health status and that does not allow an insurer to refuse to sell a policy because of an individual's health issues, then they should accept a mandate that all Americans purchase at least a minimum package of health insurance (Uwe Reinhardt, 6/25).

25 Jun 2010

News roundup: Judge approves $712 million settlement for 9/11 emergency workers' health problems; Missouri ballot measure on health overhaul challenged

A judge approved a $712 million health settlement for thousands of emergency workers who responded after the Sept. 11 attack, in spite of objections from some who complained that the deal was unfair. Some workers who say they got sick working at the Ground Zero site argued Wednesday that the settlement shortchanged those suffering from certain types of diseases. One of the key factors in how much workers get paid under the settlement, approved by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, depends on the type of disease the person contracted.

25 Jun 2010

Governors, state attorneys general seek to counter lawsuit against health law

"Gov. Chris Gregoire is joining three fellow Democratic governors in asking a federal judge to consider their opposition to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the nation's new health-care law," The Seattle Times reports.

25 Jun 2010

Details emerge on young adults coverage, small business health law provisions

More details are emerging on what aspects of the new health reform law mean for coverage for young adults and how small businesses will be affected by the changes.

25 Jun 2010

Efforts to make medicine cheaper, more efficient underway

One of Minnesota's largest providers of supportive housing for seniors will begin testing telemedicine and sensor technology to help frail seniors stay healthier and delay institutional care under an $8 million grant announced Wednesday. It will be the largest project of its kind in the nation, involving about 1,600 clients in 40 rural cities.

25 Jun 2010

Six-month Medicare patch slows Medicare meltdown for now

“The six-month Medicare patch Congress passed today is a very temporary reprieve for seniors and baby boomers who rely on the promise of Medicare. Delaying the problem is not a solution. It doesn’t solve the Medicare mess Congress has created with a long series of short-term Medicare patches over the last decade – including four to avert the 2010 cut alone.

24 Jun 2010